Swan Song
by isingforhim
Summary: Darnell/Prince Nathan allows young Romey/Rapunzel to find the singing voice she never thought she had. However, her success will cause her to be found out by her father, Mr. Gold, who has plans for her. What is Rumple plotting and can Emma and Darnell save the young woman in time? Additional original character: Ryan/The Cowardly Lion
1. Chapter 1

_Swan Song_

Ch. 1

Storybrooke; The Last Week of the Curse:

The instructor was too enthralled with conducting the high school chorus to see that the blonde eighteen year old in the back row was holding her paper booklet close to her brown eyes, lip syncing the words before her. Romey's silence wasn't due to her lack of ability to understand the complex notes, nor contempt towards the song. Self confidence was what she lacked. It was impossible for her to reach within her soul, express the music found within by lifting her voice in the presence of her classmates. "Well done," remarked the older man before them when the students finished singing. "I believe our upcoming concert next month will draw quiet the crowd. Until then, we have some fine tuning to do with this new piece. Have a wonderful afternoon everyone." After they'd been dismissed by the bell, Romey straggled out of the building, heading off to her place of work as she did Monday through Friday.

Entering the shop, she took over at the cash register. It would be another long night of slinging coffee and serving the occasional baked good. Whenever things were slow, the owner told Romey she could have free use of the wifi to complete her homework assignments. She did just that at her usual table in the corner, munching on a turkey, lettuce and mayo sandwich whose ingredients she'd been able to scrape together on her part-time income. No one would be waiting up for the eighteen year old at her apartment, as she had neither parents nor a roommate. The only consolation was that a member of the cleaning crew at the school left a back door open for her. Once again, Romey sat down before a piano in a practice room, delighted to spend time with the companion that stayed as long as she wished. After some brief warm ups, she opened the haunting music for the second time that day. Allowing it to take her to another place, another time was easy, but now, a deep sadness was attached to doing so. Romey had no knowledge of the surroundings, but she sensed she'd been here before, in another life, perhaps.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

Fairytale Land; Before the Curse:

It was a fine day, so she went to the window, allowing the sunshine to warm her face as she looked out over the trees. The maiden sighed impatiently. Her father promised he wouldn't be late for dinner, but he so often was that she knew he couldn't be counted upon. That was the trouble, he'd said, the world was 'full of distractions and dangers beyond reckoning.' In order to make up for his 'misadventures' he brought her treasures, anything from flowers to items that few had the opportunity to lay hold of. However, when she'd questioned Rumplestilskin where he'd gotten them, he either wouldn't answer her, or would respond with a light scolding remark, such as, "Now Rapunzel, that inquisitive mind of yours is bound to bring about ruin." "Yes, of course. You are right, father. I know you are only trying to protect me."

Rumplestilskin's appearance never much bothered her, for he'd raised her from infanthood on. Still, Rapunzel thought of him as an unsolvable puzzle, someone who was more than he seemed to be, but who wasn't willing to reveal his true self around her. For starters, the color of his skin was unlike that of her own, green, for unknown reasons. Secondly, he'd made a comment about her 'lovely' golden hair when she was a child and had magically made it longer than necessary. Then he'd promptly taken her to a forest and hidden her away at the top of a tall tower. Rapunzel grew to be a very beautiful woman whose fear and interest in the unknown forced her to remain indoors, lest she disappoint the only person who loved her and paid her visits.

Outside of Rapunzel's knowledge, Rumplestilskin had his own motives. One involved his son, Bae, who had been transported to another world, leaving the imp alone and torn up inside. When his new neighbors, an enthusiastic newlywed couple, became pregnant, the husband had set about digging a vegetable garden. Easy access to healthy food would be profitable for his hungry wife, he'd thought. However, the unlucky man had accidently dug to close to the Dark Ones house. Rumplestilskin had buried his dagger on his property, thinking it a good hiding spot. The fear that was felt for such a dangerous being would surely keep people out of his business, and therefore, off his land, he incorrectly concluded. Trying to do the honest thing, the man brought the knife to Rumplestilskin, not knowing that it was the source of all the Dark Ones power. Threatened with death, the man begged for the life of himself and his wife. To his great dismay, the Dark One required his unborn daughter in exchange for their safety.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Two days earlier, the old King sent his best men to search the dense forest for his missing son. Any parent would do the same in the situation. However, his majesty had more reason to worry than others. Nathan had fallen from his steed during a game hunt; hitting his head on a rock when he'd tumbled from the frantic, rearing horse. Despite the palace physician's influence, his world had gone dark. The athletic, fearless teenagers sight was stolen from him in an instant.

The Prince's mood took a turn for the worst, for he locked himself in his room. To his father's dismay, he stubbornly refused visitors and any aid they offered him. In order to lift the boy's spirits, his servant suggested he go riding again. While he resented having a babysitter, Nathan went with a small group of knights on an excursion. Unexpectedly, they were outnumbered by brigands who wanted the King to pay them a ransom for his sons return. Imprisonment was out of the question for Nathan, who had but one option.

He staggeredthrough the difficult terrain for what seemed to be hours. This area was unfamiliar, but at least Nathan had reached a place he thought was safe, alone. That night, the prince stayed where he was, rightly thinking that doing so would make it easier for him to be rescued. The next day his stomach protested about being ignored, so he ventured further than he ought. A male voice called out to his left, causing him to turn towards the source in both anticipation and fear. Surely he'd be seen and had to be ready for a possible assault.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel!?" "Father, you've come! How good it is to see you!" "Let down your hair, child. I must ascend the tower." "I thought there wasn't anything the Dark One couldn't do." "There are some things…like magic…that I find more time consuming that my daughter's hesitance." The young woman lowered her golden hair until it was only a few feet from the ground, low enough for the Dark One to take in his hands. The unfurling action pleased Rumpelstilskin immensely, for he chuckled at the familiar sight. He shimmed up to Rapunzel as best his injured leg allowed, using the wall before him as a rock climber scaling a steep cliff.

Nathan felt pity for Rapunzel and was puzzled as to why a being such as the Dark One would have her in his possession. A shudder went through him, so he instead chose to wonder how he might manage what the powerful being had done without the use of his eyes. Should Nathan attempt the climb, or would communicating with her be best done from the ground? Either way, he had to gain the maidens trust, get her to understand that he had her best interests at heart. Together they would return to his castle, he describing the path to take and she being his eyes. Her family would be found and everything would again be as it should. Well, mostly, for he couldn't be healed of his ailment.

It took what the Prince estimated to be an hour and a half before the Dark One was well on his way. Unable to come up with an appropriate greeting, Nathan repeated what he'd heard while snooping. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Inside the circular dwelling above, a girl in the process of scrubbing a cooking pot abruptly stopped what she was doing. No one but her father knew about her existence and she had the terrible feeling that if she replied to the voice, everything would change for her. 'It would be nice to have a friend,' she told herself, shoving her worry and the remains of dinner aside.

Peering into the darkness below, Rapunzel made out the frame of a tall man fidgeting with his hands. The fine clothing he wore was ripped, soiled by dirt. 'Poor thing. He must have been though a hellish ordeal.' Oddly, the dark haired stranger said nothing and seemed to be looking past her. "Who calls for me?" Nathan smiled good naturedly, wanting to appear approachable. "I am Nathan, son of Gregory, Prince of-" 'A Prince?!' Rapunzel didn't hear the rest of his title, she was impressed, wondering about the implications of this meeting. "Your highness, what is it that you need?"


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

Storybrooke, Day 1:

Darnell sat in the gym, facing the basketball court as his friends practiced three point free throws. Up until recently he'd been a member of this team. Everything changed for the star player when he'd accidently collided with the wall, hitting his head while attempting to recover an out of bounce ball. Dr. Whale released him from the hospital after x-raying his head, giving him an mri, and having him stay the night for a few days. All the results were inconclusive.

The school guidance counselor suggested that the young man start thinking about the future; look into learning brail, or finding a seeing eye dog who could assist him. However, his father openly dismissed these suggestions, stating that his son's condition was only temporary and that he'd soon return to the sports he loved. Little did he know that the high schooler wanted to be anything but a professional athlete.

Caught between acceptance and hope, Darnell was frozen in the present. He tried to maintain a sense of normalcy by attending classes and events, but his limitation caused him to be afraid that he would never again experience the world as everyone else did. Already he'd discovered that he'd taken small things for granted, like being able to avoid running into the other students. How embarrassing was that?

Bored with listening to the sounds put forth by his fellow team mates, Darnell decided to familiarize himself with the now dark building. Slowly, he made his way down the halls, feeling for the various surfaces that surrounded him and counting off how many steps it was between the classrooms, bathrooms and other landmarks that he so often frequented. Unlike any other day, Darnell got turned around somewhere, for he heard the plunking of a piano in the distance. To his knowledge, he'd normally ignore such a sound, leave the music wing, but there was something about the voice accompanying the instrument that told him he should take notice.

It conveyed that someone was standing in complete darkness, reaching out into the unknown for anyone who might come along. Darnell knew this feeling all to well, but hadn't allowed himself to express it, let alone in such a vivid way as the brave soul who had his attention.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

Storybrooke; Day 1, Continuous:

Romey's eyes went wide when she realized that she had a visitor. She'd been so caught up in what she was doing that she didn't know the door behind her opened, that a boy her age took a few steps inside the small room. As he shared an apology, Romey glared at him, recognizing who he was immediately. His type thought they were God's gift to the world.

"Hello." It wouldn't take a brain to figure out that she was annoyed with him and that she perhaps took her time here a little too seriously. The tension in the air told Darnell as much. "I um…I heard you singing and I-I shouldn't have disturbed you." "No, you shouldn't have. You broke my concentration." "Would you mind if I listened for a while?" "You…you liked my song?" "I'm Darnell."

His ipod would show that he knew next to nothing about who was a talented musician and who wasn't, but his admiration of her was heartfelt. Romey had never had a fan before. "Yes, I know. Romey. Hi." "Hey." "I'm over here." She'd noticed that he had trouble looking at her when she spoke, knew he couldn't see her. His apparel…stripped shorts, white tank top and a grey sweatshirt looked strange next to her jeans and dark blouse. They were very different people, but she sensed that they knew each other, had for a long time. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Silly, even. "I'll be outside." "Any requests?" He smiled wryly at that. "Why don't you pick up where you left off?"

'No pressure, breathe.' She was soon able to forget that she had an audience. Immerging a few minutes later, she saw that Darnell was still where he'd said he'd be. A look of concern clouded his face. "Are you alright, Romey? You were crying." Should she tell him about the cold room she'd just envisioned, the trapped sense that engulfed her? Someone like Darnell wouldn't understand. He was a popular jock that everyone wanted to be. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

Storybrooke, The following day

A day later, Darnell questioned his friends regarding Romey's whereabouts. He wanted to check in with her, make sure she was actually alright. None of them had even heard of her. It was as if Romey were invisible. That assumption was proved to be false as he walked outside the front doors of the school. "L-l-leave him alone. He h-h-hasn't done anyth-thing." Laughter and that stuttering voice. Who did the latter belong to? Ryan. Recognizing him wasn't all that difficult, for he was a social outcast who sat at the back of his English class. Moving closer, Darnell saw the shadow of a person kneeling next to Ryan. It was Romey, he was able to make out. She helped up a ten year old boy who was lying on the sidewalk and handed him his leather bound book, which was entitled _Once Upon A Time_. Within, Darnell was angry with himself, with the situation. Too often he'd seen similar situations and hadn't spoken up, for he'd been worried about his reputation.

Bound and determined to protect the boy and Romey, Ryan remained in the path of the taunter, who'd made a cruel remark and shoved the little guy down. Apparently, he had come across the the two and told the bully to leave 18 year old Ryan be. Whoever was involved had taken his frustration out the easier target. In Storybrooke Ryan hadn't remained in his lion form, but he was able to put his cowardly actions aside when it came to protecting the weak. When the perp took a step forward, Ryan unexpectedly punched him in the face. "What's going on," asked Darnell. "This prick just broke my nose." "It seems that you had it coming." Darnell's commanding presence frightened the guy all the more, so he made his exit. Even though Henry was grateful, he didn't agree with Ryan's use of violence. "You hurt, kid?" "No, I'm okay." "Henry, this is my friend, Darnell. Darnell, Henry, Henry, Ryan." "Nice to meet you." Henry inadvertently missed his bus, so he rode with Ryan to the bus stop, where his mom would be expecting him.

At the coffee shop, Romey allowed Emma to use the first aid kit to clean up Henry's elbow, which had been scraped up by his fall. 'Pal' left in a good mood, for he was glad to hit it off with his new friend, Ryan. After the excitement subsided, Romey tied an apron around herself and began her shift. Later, Darnell entered the building and ordered a cup of joe. As the machines protested, he spoke to her. "You were great with him. Henry." "Thanks, but anyone would have done it." The tenderness Romey had shown towards the boy had made Darnell take pause. "Not like you." "Why don't you take a seat? I'll bring this to you." For the next few hours, Romey noticed that Darnell was taking note of her actions, her polite small talk with customers. Approaching him with a full pot of coffee, she decided to confront her suspicions; that he had a crush on her. How would she feel about it if he did?

"Are you here to see me?" "My father and I had a fight. I needed some space." "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it? I could take my break early." Sitting down next to him, Romey ate her dinner and became informed about his plight. Darnell's relationship with his dad didn't exist for he was a workaholic who was living out his own dream through his son. "Well, what do you want to do?" Darnell didn't have a clue what he wanted his profession to be. "What about you? She wanted to be a singer."The only thing stopping you is yourself. When did you become interested in music?""I'm not sure. I always have been."


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

With his back to the tower Nathan consumed the meal that Rapunzel lowered down to him in a basket. As the food was swallowed, his tongue was loosed and he spoke of what she considered 'a strange sound in the forest.' In actually, it was horns that she'd heard from his hunting party, but Rapunzel hadn't had a word for them, or music, which she couldn't stop asking about. "There are minstrels in my Kingdom who are renowned among their kind. They entertain the court with the most wonderful stories about knights and-" "Love?" "I was going to say dragons, but yes, there are many about love. Would you consider returning with me…to hear them for yourself, I mean?"

"You have to get back to the palace." "Is my predicament that obvious?" Rapunzel smiled. "It is, but you need not be ashamed. I will come with you, but I must not be long. Father would become concerned for me." She meant to return to what she knew, a solitary life as the Dark Ones prisoner? How could he make the girl see reason, realize who her Father actually was? It would take time, he knew, so Nathan told himself that he'd withhold information about Rumplestilskin's known actions long enough for them to develop a friendship, or at least, for Rapunzel to learn to depend on him for protection. "Give me a few moments to prepare. I shall not be long."

As quickly as she might, Rapunzel refilled the empty basket with food, a cooking spoon and pot, two bowls and a few eating utensils. She also dressed in warmer clothing that she guessed was better for travel, hiding a knife under her dress. The necessary items were promptly handed off to Nathan. Now for her escape. Knotted bed sheets wouldn't reach very far, so there seemed to be the only option. A metal handle had been installed by her father, who had trouble pulling himself up to the window sill. Sighing, she stood on the ledge and tied the end of her hair to the fixture. It was a long distance to the ground and the possibility of falling caused her to return indoors, where Rapunzel tugged on her makeshift rope until she was satisfied that it would hold her weight.

Forcing herself to look at the wall and focus on Nathan's encouragement, she slowly descended to the spot where the Prince awaited her, pushing her feet off the stone as she repelled. However, she forgotten one minor detail: He father always ran out of hair when he neared her. In order to make sure she wouldn't dangle in mid air, Nathan had to grab her and use his sword as a hair sheers. When his hands held fast around her middle, she was thankful for his assistance, but discovered that she found his touch appealing. Nathan was handsome, she decided upon closer inspection. "You're very brave," he'd said, but she brushed the remark aside, implied she'd had his aid and that they should get going while there was still some light to be had.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

Author's notes: I chose to include The Silver Swan below because it inspired this story and because it was written hundreds of years ago. I became aware of it when I was in middle school and the song has stayed with me ever since. Originally, I wanted to include a few short verses about King Arthur, but was unable to find anything suitable. I hope you are enjoying this piece!

The forest was nearly silent that night, but Rapunzel was having trouble closing her eyes. After she'd gathered wood, Prince Nathan showed her how to light a fire by rubbing two sticks together. If they were come upon by anyone whom meant them ill will, he promised to wake her as soon as possible. Unsure of how much he could defend her, he disguised himself as best he could within his hooded cloak and thought to make for the nearest village, where they could borrow horses from one of residence who was loyal to the crown. In this way, Nathan could hope to cut time off of their journey by sticking to the roads, therefore eluding any danger, if at all possible.

If he could see the girl before him, he'd note that Rapunzel was again playing with what remained of her hair. By all accounts it will still long enough for her to consume her time with brushing and braiding it, but she was adapting to the change in length rather slowly. What would her father think when he climbed into their home, only to see that her locks were no longer attached to her head? Perhaps the Prince could teach her one of the songs he'd spoken of to get her mind off of things.

The next day, he did just that with one that was well known to him, one that was beautiful and heartbreaking in its simplicity.

The silver swan, who living had no note,  
When death approach'd, unlock'd her silent throat;  
Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,  
Thus sung her first and last, and sung no more.  
Farewell, all joys; O Death, come close mine eyes;  
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.

To Nathan's surprise, Rapunzel was also curious about the going ons in the Kingdom and took in his description of his father and each of his men, the knights, in stride, laughing at several of the good memories he cherished with what he considered his friends. Her life was confining, but she was able to experience a fair amount of variety in how she spent her days. Father allowed her some books, the type that talked about philosophy, ethics and biology, for example. (Anything to do with art, history, or magic had been left out, in case she should become too imaginative and decide to venture out to see the places or things depicted.) In these topics Rapunzel possessed wisdom beyond her years.

It was going to be harder than Nathan perceived to convince her that she would be happier with people she'd never met. Deep down, however, the Prince knew that Rapunzel was probably like him, in that he wanted to know what his mother had been like. Surly every child would want to know who their parent or parents were if he or she was walking in the shoes of either Nathan or Rapunzel. But did her mom and dad wonder about her? Were they even alive?


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

Storybrooke, Day 3

Nothing brought Mr. Gardner more delight than teaching, except, perhaps, his wife, who shared his passion for music. He sat at his desk, looking at her photo, recalling meeting her years ago when they'd both auditioned for the Storybrooke community chorus. Stepping in and been her accompanist allowed him to get to know the girl whose smiled warmed him. Once married, they'd lost their precious baby when his spouse had fallen ill. The couple later had a son, Joey, but he was unable to take their first child's place, or allow them to forget the pain that came from her passing. The students would be here any minute for rehearsal. Cleaning up his salad lunch, Mr. Gardner headed to the auditorium.

Darnell was invited by Romey to hear the chorus practice during lunch hour. Before they began, Mr. Gardener announced to the class that a soloist who had been originally chosen could no longer perform at the concert in less than a weeks time. She'd developed laryngitis and was under strict doctor's orders to allow her throat to properly heal. Anyone willing to take her place should audition for him later that night. The first time around there had only been a hand full of people interested and he knew that there would now be even less. However, Gardener had a reputation for going the extra mile, working with his students until he knew they could do their personal best. This was common knowledge and would give confidence to anyone who questioned if they would be able to succeed on such short notice.

Because the concert didn't have a theme, Darnell was able to take in a wide variety of choral music. Laughing and clapping when he was supposed to, he felt as if they'd gone out of their way to entertain him. The bell rang much sooner than he'd wanted it to. Romey joined Darnell in the audience and asked his opinion on the program. Upon learning that he wanted to speak to the teacher, she lead him up some stairs to the stage, where metal risers were emptying of various high schoolers. While they spoke Romey went to change out of her black robe.

"Thank you for allowing me to listen in, Mr. Gardener." "I'm glad you could join us. Stop by the choir room whenever you'd like." "Thank you, sir. I will. Before I go, there's something I want to ask you. Do you think Romey could try out now? She has somewhere she's supposed to be." "I can't see why not. Have her meet me in my office." "Great! I'll let her know." When he met up with her in the hallway, Darnell told Romey that Mr. Gardener wanted to see her, for what she didn't know.


	10. Chapter 10

Swan Song

Storybrooke, Day 4:

Romey sat in the cafeteria, alone, looking glum. Upon entering Gardener's office, she learned of the plan to get her to audition. With a little coaxing on her friends part, Romey sang. Darnell's presence in the room caused her to do better than she ever had. However, being in front of her classmates made her freeze up and Romey knew she'd embarrass herself and everyone else if she was chosen for the solo. This was all Darnell's fault and she'd let him know exactly that when they'd had an argument earlier. While she struggled with feelings of apprehension and regret, she was joined by Henry.

"Hey Romey." "Henry. How's it going?" The look on his face told Romey that something was very wrong. "Emma…my mom…she has to fulfill her destiny. She…" should Henry tell his friend the truth? "has to. I know she can, but she won't believe me." "Have the tried showing her something?" "You mean, like evidence?" Henry'd tried to do just that by pointing out the characters in his book when Emma interfered in their lives, but she wrote off their changed states as coincidences that the Savior had nothing to do with. "But what if there isn't any? Well, not anything good, anyway." "There always is. Maybe you just have to look harder to find it." The boy forced a small smile. From across the room, Darnell watched the exchange. He dreaded addressing Romey, for her words earlier had stung.

That night, Darnell found the exterior door to the music wing open. At least she hadn't pulled it shut, tried to keep him out because of spite. The familiar voice drifting down the hallway told him that Romey was there. Instinctively, Darnell felt for the phone in his pocket and pushed record. This was to be his evidence. As Romey abruptly stepped outside the door when she'd finished, he jumped. There was nowhere for Darnell to hide and from her demeanor he wished he could.

"What are you doing here?" "What does it look like?" "I'm going to tell him that I can't do it." "You got the solo? Romey, of course you-""Why because a washed up basketball star thinks I can?" "Yes and Mr. Gardener." "Gardener. Gardener is-is wrong about me." "He said you have a gift. How will you know if you won't use it?" Darnell played with his phone. Then, he held it out to Romey. "The quality isn't the best, but-." Understanding, she took the gadget from him and hit play. After the song, Romey remained silent. "What do you think?" "I think…thank you, Darnell." _Finally, she's coming around. _"What do you say we celebrate? We could…uh…order a pizza or something."


End file.
